


You're My Best Friend

by kiki_chu



Series: Pokemon Eros and Agape [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Kid!Yuuri, Pokemon AU, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-05-21 03:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14907419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiki_chu/pseuds/kiki_chu
Summary: Twelve year-old Katsuki Yuuri meets his starter and sets out on the Unova Gym Challenge.





	1. It All Starts With Your Starter

**Author's Note:**

> Since most of what I have planned for this series involves Yuuri as an adult, I wanted to do a little prequel showing how Yuuri ends up where he is. 
> 
> There will be at least another chapter for this but maybe more depending on how far I end up going.

Like any other child, Yuuri grew up watching televised pokemon matches at home with his family and friends. It wasn’t until he  saw thirteen year-old Viktor Nikiforov defeat the Kalos Elite Four when he was nine that Yuuri began to dream about becoming a trainer himself. He wanted to test himself against trainers from different regions and work his way through the gym challenge.

 

When he played with his neighbors, Yuuko and Takeshi, they would battle their imaginary pokemon teams. Takeshi always wanted to double battle with Yuuko as his partner, but Yuuri insisted they play at challenging the elite four. Yuuri would try to reenact some of his favorite Viktor moments; like when Viktor became the first person to mega evolve an Ampharos during a battle that was aired live, or when he coached his Empoleon overcame its type weakness to defeat both a Throh and a Sawk.

 

Yuuri helped out at his family’s inn for some pocket money and bought a Furfrou doll. He called it Makkachin after Viktor’s starter. He wanted to be just like Viktor.

 

The night before his twelfth birthday, Yuuri couldn’t sleep. He knew he would meet his starter the next morning, and Mari wouldn’t tell him what their parents were getting for him even when he offered to take over her chores so she could go to a concert for her favorite band. Yuuri had dreams about going down on his twelfth birthday and being met with his very own Furfrou, but he knows it’s not likely since they’re an expensive breed not native to Unova - Yuuri has done his research, a lot of research.

 

As he snuggled sleepily into his futon, Yuuri promised that he would care for his new partner no matter what. He would like them just as much as he liked Viktor. He and his Pokemon were going to go all the way and one day they were going to take on Viktor and Makkachin. They were going to  _ beat  _ Viktor and Makkachin.

 

Somehow Yuuri slept in late the next morning. When he was awake enough to realize that he was twelve (twelve!) he scrambled downstairs, stubbing his pinky toe on the way down.

 

His father was in the kitchen cooking lunch for the inn guests, and his mother was going in and out taking the finished dishes out to the dining hall.

 

“Yuuri!” His mother cheered. She whipped out a damp washcloth and began wiping his face. ”You look like you slept well. Happy birthday!”

 

“Happy birthday, son!” His father called over his shoulder, arms still moving the wok over the stove. “Take a seat, and I’ll get you some food. Do you want omurice or stir fry?”

 

Yuuri took a seat. It took all he has to not squirm or ask about his pokemon. Food was important in the Katsuki household. If it was time to eat, then other things had to wait. Still, Yuuri asked for stir fry because he knew it was already cooking and the sooner he ate the sooner he would get to meet his pokemon.

 

After the meal is finished, and Yuuri and Mari waited as their father went to get Yuuri’s pokemon. Meanwhile, Yuuri’s mother presented him with his very own trainer’s card. 

 

“This level one card permits you to have up to two, low-danger pokemon” His mother explained. “If you want to have more pokemon or have your pokemon know dangerous moves, you have to apply for a higher classification card. Do you understand, Yuuri?”

 

Yuuri nodded vigorously. He had pestered Mari with hundreds of questions when she got her trainer’s card seven years ago. Mari never took on the gym challenge, but she did test up to a level two trainer’s card so she could Fly with her starter, Takao the Swoobat, outside of battle.

 

“Yuuri, we live in this world with pokemon. Humans might be the ones to catch them, but pokemon are far stronger than us. You must always treat them with respect because they’re our precious partners.”

 

Yuuri knew all of this. He had grown up not only with Mari but with his parents pokemon too. Machiko, his mother’s Quagsire had patiently withstood being climbed all over, and his father’s Darumaka, Naoki, kept baby Yuuri from running off when his parents were busy with the inn. Yuuri never thought of pokemon as servants. The one fight he got into was because a kid was putting out seed to lure in Pidoves in order to throw rocks at them. His parent had never scolded him for it.

 

So Yuuri knew that pokemon and people should be treated the same, and he knew how important doing so was to his parents.

 

He nodded. “I promise.”

 

His mother smiled and patted him on the head.

 

“Is the birthday boy ready?” His father’s voice is a little muffled through the door. There’s a noise of some frantic scrambling.

 

“Yuuri close your eyes.” Mari said even as she was covering them with her own hands.

 

Yuuri squeezed his eyes tightly. He could hear the door opening. There was the wild tapping of little feet on the ground. Yuuri pushed Mari’s hands off his eyes just in time to see a Lillipup launch themself at him.

 

Yuuri held out his arms to catch the small bundle of fur and was rewarded with a flurry of puppy kisses.

 

“Yuuri, it’s time for your first job as a trainer,” Yuuri’s father said.

 

Yuuri did his best to sit up tall, hugging the squirming pokemon to him. He felt very grown up all of a sudden.

 

“I’m ready.”

 

“What are you going to name her?” His father asked.

 

Yuuri looked down at the Lillipup’s fluffy face and into her big brown eyes. She looked like she was smiling, like she was so happy that they were finally together and that she knew all of the awesome things they were going to do together.

 

“Viktor.”

 

“What was that, Yuuri-chan?”

 

“Her name is Viktor.”

 

“Viktor is a boy name!” Mari objected. “Anyways, Viktor has a Furfrou not a Lillipup.”

 

“Her name is Viktor!” Yuuri repeated himself, louder this time. His shoulders hunch and he squeezed Viktor gently.

 

“Mari-chan, your brother can name his pokemon what he wants.” Their mother gently rebuked.

 

Mari huffed and crossed her arms, but she didn’t say anything else.

 

“Come on, Yuuri.” Their father said, breaking the tension between his children. “After you show me you know how to use your pokeball, you can take Viktor to meet your friends.”

 

“Yuuri-chan, make sure you and Vicchan are back for dinner. Were having katsudon.”

 

As if sensing Yuuri’s excitement over his favorite meal, Viktor yipped. Yuuri looked at her. Vicchan? It was cute, and it suited her. Because his Viktor was the cutest Viktor.

 

“Let’s go, Vicchan!”


	2. Yuuri and Vicchan's First Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri sets off to challenge the Unova League and has his first battle.

It took Yuuri a month to convince his parents (and mostly Mari) that he really wanted to go and the second month was spent preparing for the journey; making sure he was registered and licensed, that he had a PC account, buying any gear that he might need and separating it into what he needed to carry and what could be stored, strengthening his bond with Vicchan.

 

Yuuri and Vicchan set out to challenge the Unova League Gyms two months after Yuuri’s birthday. The day they set out was bright and sunny, a rarity since winter had not quite unleashed its hold on Unova. Yuuri took Mari’s old bicycle since Hasetsu was pretty far north from the nearest city with a gym and Yuuri’s license didn’t permit him to Fly even if Vicchan had been able. Even with the bike the trip would take two days.

 

Mari told Yuuri that he should leave Vicchan in her ball if he wanted to look like a real trainer and wanted to encounter more wild pokemon (even a puppy like Vicchan could scare away the weaker pokemon). Yuuri managed to maintain appearances for ten minutes. Then it finally sunk in that he was out on his journey,  _ alone _ , and he stopped his bike to the side of the path and called Vicchan out.

 

Vicchan yawned and stretched, being in her pokeball seemed to make her sleepy, but she quickly shook herself off. Her little head tilted up, and she looked to Yuuri with a small yip.

 

Yuuri couldn’t help himself. He kicked down the stand for the bike and crouched in front of his Lillipup.

 

“Who’s the best girl.” He cooed at her.

 

Vicchan barked and took the three steps necessary to close the distance between them. Then she set about licking Yuuri’s face. Yuuri giggled and pet Vicchan, the first stirrings of homesickness that had been welling within him receded.

 

A short while later, Yuuri was back on his bike. Vicchan sat in the basket in front, panting with the wind ruffling her ears and fur.

 

Yuuri should be traveling slowly, heading into the the tall grass periodically to practicing battling with Vicchan and maybe finding another member to add to his team. Yuuri thought that it seemed very rude to barge around the wilderness to pick fights with pokemon going about their daily lives. Instead they only battled pokemon that approach them. Most of the few pokemon they encountered challenged them at night before Yuuri can spray Repellent around their little camp site.

 

They dealt with the Patrats and Woobats easily, but their first real challenge came part way through the second day when they encountered another trainer. Yuuri and Vicchan had mock battled Mari, Yuuko, and Takeshi before, but despite the fact that this trainer was younger than Yuuri, Yuuri’s palms were still damp from his nerves.

 

They agreed to a one on one battle since Yuuri only had Vicchan, and the other trainer sent out their Pidove. The younger trainer, black haired and steely eyed, gave precise orders to his Pidove, sending it to beat its little wings and buffet Vicchan with Gust. Vicchan’s moves were limited as she was still young and inexperienced, but Yuuri and Yuuko had come up with a simple strategy for Yuuri to use in battle: first use Leer to intimidate the opponent into lowering their guard and then Tackle them.

 

That effort seemed pointless since Yuuri found himself fumbling with his own commands. He knew what he should be saying, but he couldn’t seem to get the words out. Fortunately, while most tamed pokemon became confused when their trainers didn’t issue order, such wasn’t the case with Vicchan. Vicchan had high speed and used that along with her patience to dodge the opposing Pidove while Yuuri scrambled to direct her.

 

Luck like that couldn’t last, and eventually the Pidove landed a hit. It was Vicchan’s startled yip that snapped Yuuri out of his panic.

 

“Vicchan, Bite!”

 

It wasn’t a move that they had performed before, but Vicchan obediently darted at the Pidove and nipped at its wing. From that point on the Pidove was grounded, making it easier for Vicchan to take down despite Yuuri’s lackluster guidance.

 

In the end Yuuri won. The moment the battle was over, Yuuri ran over to Vicchan. He had one of the dozens of potion bottles his mom had packed for him in hand, and he squirted it on every scratch and bruise he thought he saw. With Vicchan snuggled peacefully in his arms, Yuuri turned to where his opponent was looking over his Pidove before recalling it to its pokeball.

 

“Are they okay?” Yuuri asked, voice uncertain.

 

Even with the Pidove put away, Yuuri kept  thinking about that little slumped body. Many flying pokemon had follow bones. Yuuri remembered how the Pidove had been grounded halfway through the battle and hoped that he hadn’t injured it permanently.

 

The boy looked up at Yuuri. He’s a schoolboy, not yet twelve and technically too young to possess and battle Pokemon, but there was a long tradition of overlooking small children using family pokemon so long as nothing got out of hand. Yuuri was surprised that his eyes were clear. If Vicchan had been knocked unconscious, he doesn’t think he would have been able to stop himself from crying.

 

“Jun-hwan will be fine after a visit to the Poke Center.”

 

Yuuri couldn’t help himself. “I’m sorry.”

 

“We were battling. It’s nothing unexpected.”

 

“Still…”

 

The boy  put the pokeball into his school bag. “You should worry more about yourself. If you continue battling like you did against me, your Lillipup is going to end up hurt worse than my Pidove.”

 

Yuuri knew that. His arms tightened around Vicchan, and Vicchan yelped in surprise. Yuuri forced himself to relax and loosen his arms. He knew he was forgiven by the way Vicchan licked his neck and beneath his chin.

 

“Umm… Did you want a potion?” Yuuri asked.

 

“No. They don’t do anything for unconscious pokemon. You have to Revive them first.”

 

“Oh.” Yuuri didn’t have any Revives since they were very expensive.

 

“Be sure to practice battling more before you meet a stronger opponent.” The boy told him before turning to leave.

 

“Wait!” Yuuri shifted so he could support Vicchan with one arm and hold out the other, showing his blue Xtransciever to the boy. “Can I get your contact information?”

 

The boy gave him a look but proceeded to put in his information.

 

“I don’t have my own yet, so this is just my family’s.”

 

The boy walked away without asking for Yuuri’s information. Yuuri looked at the new contact: Lee Seung-gil. He hadn’t been welcoming, and Yuuri wouldn’t exactly call them friends, but Yuuri’s father had always said that pokemon journeys were all about the people you met along the way, and Seung-gil was the first contact that Yuuri had made.

 

Yuuri buried his face in Vicchan’s fur to hide his smile before deciding that it was time for them to continue on their way. Only this time they would take Seung-gil’s advice and would practice more in the tall grass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ♥
> 
> Excuse me if this is a little rough, it was late so I didn't have time to have a beta go over it. I will switch out the chapter if I make revisions (and will notify you guys if there are any major changes in the next chapter's notes).
> 
> There should hopefully just be one more chapter about Yuuri's experience at his first gym.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading ♥


End file.
